HLN Moves Closer to Gutting Live News

HLN is a cable news network without an identity and, frequently, a purpose to differentiate it. HLN was live from 6 AM until 8 PM (aside from an hour of tape at 5 PM), but now live broadcasts will end at 3 PM and there will only be two weekday shows as the network doubles down on Robin Meade and the anchorless On the Story.

HLN head Ken Jautz announced the changes in a memo to staff and revealed that Across America with Carol Costello, Michaela, and Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield would be cancelled. Costello, Pereira, and Banfield all moved to HLN from stable positions on CNN and will be leaving the company now. Costello had been with CNN since 2001 and took the job with HLN to be closer to her husband on the West Coast.

“The current cable news landscape is dominated by politics,” Jautz wrote int the memo. “Our live news shows have not benefitted from this trend given our story mix.” Jautz then said that HLN will move resources from live programming to taped programming and focus live broadcasts in Atlanta in an effort to cut costs.

The new schedule of Morning Express from 6 AM until noon and then On the Story from noon to 3 PM takes effect October 29.

Jautz closed his memo with “We built a top-notch line-up of some of the best anchors and show teams in the industry, and we are proud of what we’ve accomplished together these past few years” which is a curious line to state after cancelling three shows and he did not list any accomplishments (HLN remains in a distant fourth place).